Cons
Crashes more than Billy Joel. The complex setup process may prove tricky even for networking pros. Interface graphics and device itself are ugly. No hard drive. Can't auto-update its media library.

Bottom Line

Setting it up was a nightmare, the device crashed easily, and it isn't attractive, to boot. Still, when it's up and running, the product has an impressive feature set. If Apple TV is for the iPod-familiar, hands-off user, then the Netgear is for the patient, hands-on BitTorrent addict.

Suddenly, with the advent of Apple TV, it seems everyone wants a wireless media extender to stream files from a computer to the TV. Apple TV is easy to set up, fairly small, and an excellent product for iTunes users. By contrast, the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD is tough to install, but it offers folks not tied to iTunes the freedom to watch their potpourri of legal, illegal, high-quality, and pirated content on their TVs. Positively loaded with features, from HD video playback (480i to 1080p) to online access of YouTube and Flickr accounts via your television, the Entertainer HD even plays iTunes DRM-protected files. Now if you need to live in an iTunes-level world of user-friendliness, this product isn't for you. But for those patient types who don't mind rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands a little dirty, the Digital Entertainer HD has plenty to like.

//Compare Similar Products

Really a wireless media extender that streams audio, video, and photos, the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD connects to the Internet (in a limited capacity), if you attach it to a wireless router that has access to your computer's media library. The device can also read content directly off a USB drive or be wired via Ethernet cable to boost its Wi-Fi 802.11g speed (54 Mbps) to 100 Mbps. And unlike Apple TV, Netgear doesn't require an HD or EDTV, since it'll format content for your 480i set. It can also play HD content on a 1080p setanother feat Apple TV can't performand all non-HD content is automatically upscaled to HD for HD screens.

Sadly, though, this flat rectangular device is ugly. It's much bigger than the Apple TV, less sleek, and even the graphics for the user interface are drab. Given that there are hordes of graphic and computer designers out there, this amateurish menu system baffles and annoys me. That said, the remote is a real remote, larger than Apple TV's (which I think is a plus) with several more options than Apple's provides.

The worst problem is that the Digital Entertainer HD was a nightmare to set up. Unlike Apple TV's slick streamlined process that communicates with both Macs and PCs (provided they are running iTunes 7.1.1) in a matter of minutes, the Netgear box requires a convoluted setup that killed a good 12 hours. First, it had trouble seeing my wireless network. (Apple TV worked immediately with the same network.) Once that was resolved, the Entertainer saw only a small portion of my available content (the fix: keeping all content in folders with file sharing turned on). After I did this, the device recognized that my files were there and displayed their names, but, unfortunately, it was "unable to play" them. The cure for this problem not only entailed rebooting the Entertainer HD and reconnecting all my networked computers and the Netgear box to the wireless router, but also turning off all firewall protectionboth Microsoft Windows' protection and Norton's. Many people are going to be uncomfortable with this scenario. Simply put, with the firewall on, the Netgear box had serious trouble finding and streaming all of my files.

Another frustration is that, unlike Apple TV, the Entertainer HD cannot automatically update its library. That means that every time you add a new movie or song to your shared folder, you have to "scan for new media" on the Netgear TV menu. This isn't a terribly long process, but it's by no means as convenient as Apple's self-updating library system, and a couple times, my unit crashed while scanning.

Well, after hours of frustration trying to get my entire test library streaming wirelessly to the box, I finally had success, and, aside from the aforementioned crashes (caused by raising the volume when video was streaming or trying to search a menu while something was playing), it was a pure joy to use. I logged into my Flickr account using the remote and watched my vacation pictures and photos from my friend's account scroll across the widescreen TV here in PC Magazine Labs. I checked out the top videos on YouTube, and when they seemed too pixilated for our huge screen, I used the zoom and page up/down functions on the remote to adjust their size for sharper viewing. I also surfed Internet radio stations and compiled a favorites list. Apple TV's Internet connectivity is much more limited and not nearly as useful.

Somehow, the smart minds at Netgear found a way around Apple's DRM (not videos, though). You can listen to any audio content that plays in iTunes and any content that plays in Windows Media Player. Even the iTunes album art is displayed. This feature delightful to usea rare example of iTunes material playing properly, without being ripped, on a non-Apple device. Since this wasn't done in cooperation with Apple, the sneaky tactic probably involves intercepting the audio output from iTunes before it reaches your PC's output. I downloaded a few songs from Napster and had similar success, and when I downloaded 1080p HD footage, the picture was crisp and the audio perfect. It should be noted, however, that while the Netgear box is compatible with Macs, it plays DRM and YouTube content only if you are using a PC. (The same is true for live television using a PC-based tuner, which can be recorded and even preprogrammed.)

At time though, the Entertainer falls victim to its limited streaming capabilities. It plays 1080p HD footage, but until I viewed those images directly off a USB drive, I ran into some serious sputtering issues. The same video clip in 720p did not suffer from any sputtering, however, and was automatically scaled to fit the screen. Also, when my wireless signal strength was a bit low, music playback sputtered too. So if your wireless signal isn't healthy, don't expect much from this device. And unlike Apple TV, the Entertainer HD has no hard drive, so you can't revert to hard drive playback when there are streaming problems.

To be perfectly honest, I'm torn. I want to love the Netgear Digital Entertainer HD, but I can't. This machine has great versatility, incredible file compatibility, and fun Internet features. Its HD playback also makes a compelling argument for moving your computer files closer to your widescreen TV for viewing. My sincere hope is that firmware updates will continue to improve the Entertainer HD and solve the crashing and sharing annoyances that currently plague it. Fix the bugs and allow users to stream without disabling their firewalls, Netgear, and you'll have one fantastic product.

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service

//our current issue

Select Term:

24 issues for $29.99 ONLY $1.25 an issue! Lock in Your Savings!

12 issues for $19.99ONLY $1.67 an issue!

State

Country

This transaction is secure

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service